Posted on September, 26 2019
1. How is WWF working to transform the food systems to provide sustainable food for the current and future generations?
Through the Africa Food Futures Initiative, WWF is championing the development of an agro-ecological approach to transform smallholder farming systems in Zimbabwe which are currently characterized by inherently infertile soils, low and erratic rainfall, limited access to economically viable commodity value chains and agricultural extensification into more marginal biodiversity rich areas. The initiative seeks to promote the conservation of agricultural productive lands; strengthen smallholder food systems; improve community livelihoods; and deliver resilient landscapes.
For example, WWF Zimbabwe is promoting the market linkage of smallholder farmers producing sorghum under conservation agriculture in areas adjacent to Chizarira National Park in Binga district. The initiative has demonstrated that smallholder farmers can achieve increased productivity and incomes, without the need to expand their cropping area.
2. What is your take on Africa's food consumption patterns and access to nutritious food for all?
The African food system is largely dominated by smallholder farmers who produce food largely for own consumption, which in most cases is dominated by cereals and starch. There is however an emergence of 'growing' economies in Africa whose food consumption pattern is largely driven by increasing levels of income and the people's increasing demand of 'fast-foods'. As a result, Africa is increasingly facing malnutrition on one hand, obesity on the other, with both scenarios contributing to unsustainable food systems. The scope for Africa's food consumption patterns and access to nutritious food for all can partly be realised by increasing awareness and education on food-health-environment nexus to the growing urban population and investing in creating incentives for smallholder farmers to produce food in environmentally sustainable ways.
3. What measures is WWF taking to tackle food loss & waste?
This initiative is championed by WWF Zimbabwe and we are leading the development of WWF's Food Loss and Waste Initiative in Africa. The initiative is premised on the recognition that for Africa to meet its food security and the food demands of an increasingly wealthy global population, reducing Food Loss & Waste presents one of the most significant opportunities to establish sustainable food systems that conserves biodiversity. The initiative is focusing on WWF Africa's priority regions namely Southern Africa (Zimbabwe), Central Africa (Cameroon) and East Africa (Tanzania), to quantify and qualify Food Loss & Waste measures such as post-harvest losses in selected horticulture and palm oil commodity value chains. A pilot project on hotel food waste is underway in Victoria Falls-Zimbabwe, with six major hotels Victoria Falls Hotel, Elephant Hills, The Kingdom Hotel, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, A'Zambezi hotel and Cresta Sprayview hotel. The Food Loss & Waste measures from commodity value chains and the hotels will inform the development of strategic approaches for reducing food loss (post-harvest loss) and food waste, that WWF can adopt at scale for wider impact in the region.
4. Of course, to achieve food security must be an integrated approach. Are we being conscious of climate change, access to fresh water and livelihoods for the people?
WWF has been carrying out interventions such as Climate Smart Agriculture, which contributes to ecosystem resilience especially in the context of water challenges due to climate change. We have been very active on Wetlands work and have led the ascension of seven key wetlands in Zimbabwe to the Ramsar Convention. The food-water nexus remains central and a priority for the country and region. As such, WWF Zimbabwe and WWF Zambia recently co-developed an initiative for joint fund-raising which seeks to foster a water stewardship approach and sustainable commodity value chains integrating agro-ecological principles at various levels, in order to maintain the ecological integrity of the Zambezi River Basin and its services to the local population.
5. For this issue of the AF, we are linking sustainable production of food to freshwater. How is WWF Zimbabwe working to ensure that the impact of our food systems on rivers (& oceans) is greatly reduced to restore wildlife populations for future generations?
WWF Zimbabwe has been carrying out interventions such as Climate Smart Agriculture, which contributes to ecosystem resilience especially in the context of water challenges due to climate change. We have been very active on Wetlands work and have led the ascension of seven key wetlands in Zimbabwe to the Ramsar Convention. The food-water nexus remains central and a priority for the country and region. As such, WWF Zimbabwe and WWF Zambia recently co-developed an initiative for joint fund-raising which seeks to foster a water stewardship approach and sustainable commodity value chains integrating agro-ecological principles at various levels, in order to maintain the ecological integrity of the Zambezi River Basin and its services to the local population.
